Abortion Fiction: Part 2 - The Pro-Life Bible and Early Church

In this episode we continue our response to John Irving's article for the New York Times that attempts to bash pro-life advocates over the head with a history lesson. Irving claims that colonial America was actually friendly to abortion practices.

Before we examine the colonial period we look at Scriptures against abortion. Then, we observe a consensus among Christians of the first five centuries that abortion at any stage of pregnancy is wrong--even if the science of the day could not tell when life begins in the womb!

Articles Cited:

"The Long, Cruel History of the Anti-Abortion Crusade"

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/opinion/anti-abortion-history.html

References:

Didache

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/didache-lake.html

Epistle of Barnabas

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/barnabas-lightfoot.html

Letter to Diognetus

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/diognetus-lightfoot.html

Athenagorus of Athens

"The Christians Condemn And Detest All Cruelty" from A Plea for the Christians

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/athenagoras-plea.html

Tertullian:

"Apology" (chapter 9)

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/tertullian01.html

"On the Soul" (chapter 27)

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0310.htm

"On the Soul" (chapter 25)

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/050109.htm

Hippolytus of Rome

Refutation of All Heresies (book 9, chapter 7)

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/050109.htm

Basil of Caesarea

Letter 188 (chapter 2)

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3202188.htm

Gregory of Nyssa

"On the Soul and the Resurrection"

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2915.htm

John Chrysostom

Homily 24 on Romans

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210224.htm

Augustine of Hippo

On Marriage and Concupiscence (book 1, chapter 17)

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/15071.htm

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